Get to know ephemeral Asian delicacy known also as ‘the queen of fruit”. It’s something you won’t find in Europe. Check if it’s worth trying.

When you visit your friends, people usually offer you some kind of snacks. This time is no different. You’re told that on the table there’s a basket with fruit and you can help yourself. You gratefully accept the offer since you’re becoming somewhat hungry. You come to the table, pick one fruit and… well have no idea what to do next. The fruit is in the size of a tangerine with very hard (wooden like), dark, purple-brown skin. What’s that and how the hell you’re suppose to eat it?! You’re running back to your friend with pitiful and confused expression.

Mangosteen - carmine rind and white (garlic-like flesh)

Mangosteen – it’s a tropical evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. Its fruit is round with diameter around 6-8 cm. If it’s fresh the skin is soft but it hardens within a few days (gives it wooden like feeling). Inside there’s thick (~0,5cm) carmine rind surrounding soft, white flesh. How to eat it? Make a shallow cut around the circumference or equator of the fruit. Twist two parts a little and pull them apart. Inside there’s white flesh in a shape resembling garlic. That’s the edible part. You just need to pick it and eat it. Since the fruit is very soft and juicy, eating it might become a messy business. It’s nearly falling apart when touched. Is it worth trying? Definitely. That’s probably one of the best fruits I’ve ever eaten. It’s very sweet with a slight note of sourness. The taste is very mild. It resembles combination of peach and pineapple. It’s also very unique. If you’re in Asia (or by some kind of miracle you’ve found it in a shop in your hometown) that’s one of the must-try things. Bon appetite!